Crazy Days & One Bright Night
By Elizabeth Fowler

Camp participants show their skills on a 25-way diamond to try to qualify for the night 25-way attempt.

Perris Valley Skydiving again hosted a week-long series of canopy formation events, including the 2004 CF Skills and 81-Way Selection Camp and unofficial night world record attempt. The July 29-August 1 event followed the drop zone's basic-to-intermediate skills camp, Crazy CRW.

DZ host Scott Smith and CF coordinator Mike Muscat planned the event. Chris Gay, Mike Lewis and Dave Richardson, members of a group they call the CF World Record Committee, with special formation pilot support from Brian Pangburn and Ken Oka, organized formations that increased in size as the camp progressed.

More than 50 participants began arriving Thursday and were quickly briefed and organized into groups of eight or nine. Friday morning, the group met at 6:30 for a day of challenges for both new and veteran CF jumpers. Day two's sunset load included clean, well-built, two-point 16-ways.

Saturday morning began early again so the group could get in three larger formations before the afternoon break. During that time, the organizers selected the participants for the 26-way night record attempt. On the first practice jump for the night attempt, Cheryl Michaels had a malfunction, shrinking the group to 25. The second practice jump, a 25-way, succeeded before sunset, and success followed shortly with a completed 25-way at night.

The next day, following a few attempts at the unofficial state record, everyone said their goodbyes, shared hugs and reflected on the good times of the previous evening. They all knew they'd see each other again soon.

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